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A Murder in Gurgaon
Gurgaon. December 2014. A young event manager, an ex-cop's son, ismurdered. Inspector Ajai Singh vows justice. There is little to begin with, andfrustration mounts when the initial suspect – a reclusive woman with amysterious past – is found missing.Digging deeper, Singh uncovers a sordid tale of adultery, blackmail andrevenge, only to find himself staring at a conspiracy unlike any he has seen.There are deceits, little and big, to decode; the predator and victim areindistinguishable; his witnesses could be misleading; his closest ally may not bean ally at all.Will Singh succeed? Or has the sick, wily mind behind the crime always been afew steps ahead?Refreshingly told, with a cast of morally ambivalent characters and an accenton the minutiae of crime, A Murder in Gurgaon will keep you hooked till thevery end.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2016
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June 22, 2022
You know, I have been waiting for THIS book for a very long time.
I didn’t know a thing about the author. Ditto, as far as the publisher is concerned.
I had bought the book rather impulsively, because the blurb at Amazon suggested an interesting read.
How much interesting? Oh, my!
Okay. Before I go ga-ga over the book, let me recall the issues that I had, have, will continue to have.
A non-linear multiple POV narrative is good for a thriller, and it worked like a charm for 90% of the novel. Only at the end, when the same voice repeated both the stories that had been fleshed out until then piece-by-piece, in the form of monologues, and in a rather anticlimactic manner, it lost its lustre.
This was not a novel. It was a very interesting, very-very functional collection of dialogues, monologues, and half of conversations (as if you are listening to only one side of the phone). In the process the narrative became rudimentary. In fact, it read like a taut drama, or script, rather than a novel.
Now comes the part where I prostrate myself before the author asking, in a very-very Bengali style, “Guru, where had you been until now?”
The book stunned me.
By the time the arguments & logics had piled up, and like the protagonists in the novel I also had been forced to accept the only solution this dual mystery can have, my mind had gone on a roller-coaster ride. Even then, even at the end, I kept thinking, was this solution too neat? Have we jumped ahead only to achieve a closure? In short, are we committing a third murder? THIS is the feeling which only a handful of thrillers or mysteries can provide for, and this book did it for me.
Also, most mysteries that are churned out these days are disconnected from the Indian landscape, as they use big cities as landscapes while drawing semi-westernised figures forced to wear Indian attire. This book was not like that. With small words, smaller gestures, and simply with the descriptions of our protagonists & antagonist(s), the book became very-very Indian, and each & every character came alive.
Dubeyji, please take a bow. You have, finally, unleashed a proper Indian mystery, unlike the travesties showered upon us by those who make a killing out of readers searching for flesh and not brain.
Can we have some more, please?
Highly Recommended, do I need to mention?
I didn’t know a thing about the author. Ditto, as far as the publisher is concerned.
I had bought the book rather impulsively, because the blurb at Amazon suggested an interesting read.
How much interesting? Oh, my!
Okay. Before I go ga-ga over the book, let me recall the issues that I had, have, will continue to have.
A non-linear multiple POV narrative is good for a thriller, and it worked like a charm for 90% of the novel. Only at the end, when the same voice repeated both the stories that had been fleshed out until then piece-by-piece, in the form of monologues, and in a rather anticlimactic manner, it lost its lustre.
This was not a novel. It was a very interesting, very-very functional collection of dialogues, monologues, and half of conversations (as if you are listening to only one side of the phone). In the process the narrative became rudimentary. In fact, it read like a taut drama, or script, rather than a novel.
Now comes the part where I prostrate myself before the author asking, in a very-very Bengali style, “Guru, where had you been until now?”
The book stunned me.
By the time the arguments & logics had piled up, and like the protagonists in the novel I also had been forced to accept the only solution this dual mystery can have, my mind had gone on a roller-coaster ride. Even then, even at the end, I kept thinking, was this solution too neat? Have we jumped ahead only to achieve a closure? In short, are we committing a third murder? THIS is the feeling which only a handful of thrillers or mysteries can provide for, and this book did it for me.
Also, most mysteries that are churned out these days are disconnected from the Indian landscape, as they use big cities as landscapes while drawing semi-westernised figures forced to wear Indian attire. This book was not like that. With small words, smaller gestures, and simply with the descriptions of our protagonists & antagonist(s), the book became very-very Indian, and each & every character came alive.
Dubeyji, please take a bow. You have, finally, unleashed a proper Indian mystery, unlike the travesties showered upon us by those who make a killing out of readers searching for flesh and not brain.
Can we have some more, please?
Highly Recommended, do I need to mention?
February 5, 2018
3.5 stars
A quick and easy read.
A man, who lives beyond his means is stabbed to death in his flat. A woman, who surfaced after being reclusive for 2 decades is reported missing by her friend, and her only contact in India.
The 2 cases are apparently connected.
Retired police, Hari Dixit, the dead man's father reaches the place of murder, and bonds with Inspector Ajai Singh to find our what exactly happened.
And the ingenious murderer tries to evade them.
Was intriguing. But was presented in the form of a screenplay most of the time, and there were confusing formatting errors .
On the whole, a readable murder mystery.
A quick and easy read.
A man, who lives beyond his means is stabbed to death in his flat. A woman, who surfaced after being reclusive for 2 decades is reported missing by her friend, and her only contact in India.
The 2 cases are apparently connected.
Retired police, Hari Dixit, the dead man's father reaches the place of murder, and bonds with Inspector Ajai Singh to find our what exactly happened.
And the ingenious murderer tries to evade them.
Was intriguing. But was presented in the form of a screenplay most of the time, and there were confusing formatting errors .
On the whole, a readable murder mystery.
October 14, 2016
Its a pacy read as promised.
And it was terrible that I got it bang in the middle of a work week. Just as I picked it up and read the first few pages, Karuna got unwell. Next morning it went with me on the metro (the metro was specifically taken for a quiet ride to read). And I got off at RCR as I finished page 40, and had one of the toughest days at work focusing!!! And returned home with a pile of work. I finally managed to finish reading it yesterday evening! A brilliant read, which kept me in its grip till I got done with it.
So what did I think of the book. For a start, I have not read many thrillers, other than the mandatory Shelock Holmes and a few Agatha Christie (intact I've watched more than read)
AMIG - a thriller with enough twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued an interested. A tale dug out by delving into the hidden lives of our shimmery shiny metropolis. In its narration, its a book like no other that I have read, the convention it creates and adopts in dialogue and conversation. For me that remains as the most remarkable aspect of the book. The character depictions and descriptions are crisp, and just adequate, and allow a vivid visualisation. The narration as it progressed felt almost like it was being set up for the stage. I would be very happy (and not surprised) to see this taken up for theatre production. I feel its better theatre material than movie (but thats a personal feel).
All in all a great read, and now eagerly looking forward to Book2 and more!
And it was terrible that I got it bang in the middle of a work week. Just as I picked it up and read the first few pages, Karuna got unwell. Next morning it went with me on the metro (the metro was specifically taken for a quiet ride to read). And I got off at RCR as I finished page 40, and had one of the toughest days at work focusing!!! And returned home with a pile of work. I finally managed to finish reading it yesterday evening! A brilliant read, which kept me in its grip till I got done with it.
So what did I think of the book. For a start, I have not read many thrillers, other than the mandatory Shelock Holmes and a few Agatha Christie (intact I've watched more than read)
AMIG - a thriller with enough twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued an interested. A tale dug out by delving into the hidden lives of our shimmery shiny metropolis. In its narration, its a book like no other that I have read, the convention it creates and adopts in dialogue and conversation. For me that remains as the most remarkable aspect of the book. The character depictions and descriptions are crisp, and just adequate, and allow a vivid visualisation. The narration as it progressed felt almost like it was being set up for the stage. I would be very happy (and not surprised) to see this taken up for theatre production. I feel its better theatre material than movie (but thats a personal feel).
All in all a great read, and now eagerly looking forward to Book2 and more!
October 3, 2016
A Murder in Gurgaon has a very interesting narrative style: mix of novel, short-story, screen-play and stage-play. It keeps the reader on edge for most parts.
The characters are etched clearly and built painstakingly, which is rare for a thriller of this type. The “No one is left out” policy is quite like what the United Nations presents in its Sustainable Development Goals approach!!
The plot is clearly the "hero" of the story. No character overpowers another.
Technical details are well presented. The management style tabular presentation of information is quite refreshing. Overuse of foot-notes may be a dampener for some, in particular the use of very small sized fonts.
The one grouse is that Part 3 of the novel fizzles out with little new. What happened to the twist promised at the end of Part 2?
Verdict: Riveting, keeps reader on the edge. Value for money and time. Hope more comes from from Manish Dubey’s pen!!
The characters are etched clearly and built painstakingly, which is rare for a thriller of this type. The “No one is left out” policy is quite like what the United Nations presents in its Sustainable Development Goals approach!!
The plot is clearly the "hero" of the story. No character overpowers another.
Technical details are well presented. The management style tabular presentation of information is quite refreshing. Overuse of foot-notes may be a dampener for some, in particular the use of very small sized fonts.
The one grouse is that Part 3 of the novel fizzles out with little new. What happened to the twist promised at the end of Part 2?
Verdict: Riveting, keeps reader on the edge. Value for money and time. Hope more comes from from Manish Dubey’s pen!!
October 8, 2016
A Murder in Gurgaon is a great read. I enjoyed it thoroughly. As the plot unravels, you are grateful for the almost telegraphic style of writing. You keep turning page after page, on the tenterhooks...and then it ends, a tad too soon! As with all good books, you wish you had read it slowly!
October 9, 2016
I really enjoyed reading this book.
The story is very enthralling and the intensity in the story and mystery of who the murderer is builds by every chapter. With every new chapter, especially towards the end, the frame of conversation changes and a new perspective on possible suspects makes the reader immersed and participate in this story. Yet, it is not until the end I was able to determine who the culprit was.
The contextual setting (physical environment) around which the story is written is very well articulated. This makes the reader relate well to the physical setting and though the story is a fiction, the way all the elements are brought together makes the story feel a real event (non-fiction work).
The book starts with introduction to number of characters setting the context and carefully emphasizing on the key characters that are core part of the story line. The threads all started drawing together as the story progress. In fact, during the last few chapters, I found it hard to put down the book until I reached the end.
Fans of the crime thriller should really enjoy this book.
The story is very enthralling and the intensity in the story and mystery of who the murderer is builds by every chapter. With every new chapter, especially towards the end, the frame of conversation changes and a new perspective on possible suspects makes the reader immersed and participate in this story. Yet, it is not until the end I was able to determine who the culprit was.
The contextual setting (physical environment) around which the story is written is very well articulated. This makes the reader relate well to the physical setting and though the story is a fiction, the way all the elements are brought together makes the story feel a real event (non-fiction work).
The book starts with introduction to number of characters setting the context and carefully emphasizing on the key characters that are core part of the story line. The threads all started drawing together as the story progress. In fact, during the last few chapters, I found it hard to put down the book until I reached the end.
Fans of the crime thriller should really enjoy this book.
April 8, 2019
Published in 2016, the book is uniquely written, mostly as dialogues between the characters. I think it has the prospect of setting a trend in writing a little differently, especially among the new writers. But then, I will leave it to the author's wisdom and discretion.
I was often wondering, if I was reading a script for a film. I missed the detailed narrative, which normally gets woven around the characters and the events around them.
It is more like reading a play, act wise and scene wise. But then, I did mention that the writing style is indeed unique!
The characters feel real. The author has an incredible word bank. One must read more works by the author, to review his creations as a reader and not as a critique.
I was often wondering, if I was reading a script for a film. I missed the detailed narrative, which normally gets woven around the characters and the events around them.
It is more like reading a play, act wise and scene wise. But then, I did mention that the writing style is indeed unique!
The characters feel real. The author has an incredible word bank. One must read more works by the author, to review his creations as a reader and not as a critique.
October 7, 2016
A complete page-turner. Keeps you hooked till the end. Great storytelling style, very visual!
October 10, 2016
Carefully constructed murder mystery. Written in a unique narrative format that is as intriguing as the crime it depicts. Worth a read both for the story and for the stylistic novelty.
June 21, 2018
Title - A MURDER IN GURGAON
Author - Manish Dubey
Publisher - Srishti Publishers and Distributors
Publishing date - 26 Sept 2016
Language - English
Format - Paperback
Number of pages - 184
Genre - Murder Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller
ISBN 10 - 9382665781
ISBN 13 - 978-9382665786
Cover design - Gloworm Creations
Cover photograph - Getty Images
Author photo - Yuvraj Jaipal
Price - 175 INR
Buy it here - A Murder in Gurgaon https://www.amazon.in/dp/9382665781/r...
Title - The title best suits the murder mystery which is set in the city of Gurgaon. It is attractive and interesting. It made me grab the book immediately.
Cover - The cover is artistic and well designed. It shows the picture of a girl whose face is completely covered by pieces of paper with names of different girls written on each piece. It determines the situation in the novel where the killer is unknown and there are deep secrets hidden in the characters
Storyline -
The story is set in Gurgaon in the year 2016. Varun Dixit, a young event manager, son of Hari Dixit, an ex-cop, is murdered. Inspector Ajai Singh promises to give him justice. There is minimum clue available when the initial suspect of the case, Leena Puri, is found missing. She is a reclusive woman with a mysterious past.
As the inspector digs deeper, he uncovers a confusing tale of adultery, blackmail and revenge. There are hidden secrets, dark truths and witnesses which may not be trustable at all.
Will Ajai Singh find the truth? Will the criminal be caught? Or will the case file get buried under a stack of several other such file? Read to finf out.
Language and writing skills - The book in writeen well. The writing style is good, but gets boring at times since certain situations and scenarios. Otherwise the story is fluently written. The language is fluent, and there are negligible errors in the book.
Narration - The narration is done in a good way, not very attractive though, since it has been dragged too much at places.
Portrayal of characters - The characters are well portrayed. They are a package of secrets and are mysterious. They confuse you and make you think at the same time.
Strengths -
-- Storyline
-- Cover
Weaknesses -
-- Language
-- Writing skills
-- One more thing that I did not like much is the way it was written. It seemed more like the script of a play rather than a story
Ratings -
Title - 4/5
Cover - 4.2/5
Language - 3.7/5
Writing skills - 3.7/5
Narration - 3.7/5
Storyline - 4.2/5
Portrayal of characters - 4/5
End/Climax - 4.2/5
Overall rating - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Author - Manish Dubey
Publisher - Srishti Publishers and Distributors
Publishing date - 26 Sept 2016
Language - English
Format - Paperback
Number of pages - 184
Genre - Murder Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller
ISBN 10 - 9382665781
ISBN 13 - 978-9382665786
Cover design - Gloworm Creations
Cover photograph - Getty Images
Author photo - Yuvraj Jaipal
Price - 175 INR
Buy it here - A Murder in Gurgaon https://www.amazon.in/dp/9382665781/r...
Title - The title best suits the murder mystery which is set in the city of Gurgaon. It is attractive and interesting. It made me grab the book immediately.
Cover - The cover is artistic and well designed. It shows the picture of a girl whose face is completely covered by pieces of paper with names of different girls written on each piece. It determines the situation in the novel where the killer is unknown and there are deep secrets hidden in the characters
Storyline -
The story is set in Gurgaon in the year 2016. Varun Dixit, a young event manager, son of Hari Dixit, an ex-cop, is murdered. Inspector Ajai Singh promises to give him justice. There is minimum clue available when the initial suspect of the case, Leena Puri, is found missing. She is a reclusive woman with a mysterious past.
As the inspector digs deeper, he uncovers a confusing tale of adultery, blackmail and revenge. There are hidden secrets, dark truths and witnesses which may not be trustable at all.
Will Ajai Singh find the truth? Will the criminal be caught? Or will the case file get buried under a stack of several other such file? Read to finf out.
Language and writing skills - The book in writeen well. The writing style is good, but gets boring at times since certain situations and scenarios. Otherwise the story is fluently written. The language is fluent, and there are negligible errors in the book.
Narration - The narration is done in a good way, not very attractive though, since it has been dragged too much at places.
Portrayal of characters - The characters are well portrayed. They are a package of secrets and are mysterious. They confuse you and make you think at the same time.
Strengths -
-- Storyline
-- Cover
Weaknesses -
-- Language
-- Writing skills
-- One more thing that I did not like much is the way it was written. It seemed more like the script of a play rather than a story
Ratings -
Title - 4/5
Cover - 4.2/5
Language - 3.7/5
Writing skills - 3.7/5
Narration - 3.7/5
Storyline - 4.2/5
Portrayal of characters - 4/5
End/Climax - 4.2/5
Overall rating - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
July 24, 2017
One of the best quick reads, I have read.
One can make a good movie on the subject.
MUST-READ!
One can make a good movie on the subject.
MUST-READ!
December 30, 2017
OMG!! What a book!! I really liked the theories used in the book to solve the murder mystery..
May 20, 2017
This one starts with a jumble of characters, a mass of names and you don't quite know what is happening or who is who..
But do not put the book down just yet, persist. As u proceed, it very surprisingly blossoms eventually into a totally impossible -to-decipher- whodunit , a perfect crime you could never have imagined possible.
A fine thriller, turning unputdownable towards the end.
But do not put the book down just yet, persist. As u proceed, it very surprisingly blossoms eventually into a totally impossible -to-decipher- whodunit , a perfect crime you could never have imagined possible.
A fine thriller, turning unputdownable towards the end.
October 28, 2016
‘Thrilling’ Crime discussions with Gurgaon’s Book Lovers ‘How to catch a murderer” seemed to be the bottomline at a book discussion when Gurgaon’s book lovers got together on Sunday 16th October at The Atara in DLF Phase 1 to dissect murder mysteries. On the panel was Manish Dubey, policy analyst turned crime writer, film director Kaustav Narayan Niyogi whose film ‘Cabaret’ is all set to release and founder of Gurgaon Art and Literary Club (GLiterARTi) Meenakshi Sharma. As the discussion began, there was that very same excitement in the air which makes crime thrillers such a page turner. While some members of the audience shared their love for international thriller authors like Agatha Christie, Ian Fleming, Robert Ludlum and Dan Brown, others applauded the contribution of our very own Indian writers who have dominated our childhood through absorbing detective stories and Bollywood thrillers. Still others in the audience narrated their love for Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Thrillers clearly were everyone’s favourite genre at the event. Dubey spoke fondly of some of his own favourite detectives like Sudhir Kohli (from the Pathak books) even while he imagined that his own novels detective well be played by Pankaj Kapur, the swashbuckling carrot chewing Karamchand! It was interesting to note that debutant author Manish Dubey who has lived in Gurgaon for the last five years, was raised on a steady diet of the detective novels of Surender Mohan Pathak and was initiated into this genre by his mother who he jokingly said, “was deep into crime and had that bent of mind necessary in solving mysteries”! He also appreciated his wife Bharati’s support that helped him in polishing the book and making it so taut and racy. As the intellectuals of Gurgaon discussed what exactly constituted a thriller, the discussion took an interesting turn with audience members discussing its dictionary meaning as a novel with an exciting plot which typically involves crime or espionage. Some readers described Dubey’s book with relish as they shared the excitement of this page turner which makes it ‘unputdownable’. A Murder in Gurgaon by Manish Dubey was indeed given a huge thumbs up by the book lovers and this was evident in the online reviews as well. Explaining what makes a good murder mystery tick, Dubey agreed that it was important to keep the reader guessing as much as it was critical that they are able to second guess the murderer. He refused to make any character too overpowering, preferring to make the story and the plot, the real hero of the book. This thriller called ‘A Murder in Gurgaon’ begins at an interesting juncture when it builds up the story of two friends and then moves to an elderly couple who lose their son. This is a crime thriller which has a carefully constructed murder mystery which is written in a unique narrative format. From then on, it is a roller coaster of a ride which discloses how an ex-cop’s son, a young event manager, is murdered. Inspector Ajai Singh vows justice. There is little to begin with, and frustration mounts when the initial suspect, a reclusive lady with a mysterious past, is found missing. Digging deeper, Ajai Singh uncovers a tale of blackmail, adultery, and revenge when he finds that the victim and predator are indistinguishable and that even his witnesses could be misleading! Revealing more of the story would be a spoiler for those looking forward to read the book. Suffice to say, the author kept the audience engaged with his answers on how he structures the novel, the use of red herrings or unnecessary clues and the focus on getting the job done without wasting time in philosophising. When explaining why Gurgaon was chosen as the backdrop, he revealed that he found it a ‘schizophrenic’ city where the interplay between mofussil and cosmopolitan instincts gave it a ‘menacing’ air. At the same time, he demonstrated his use of ‘observation’ to maximize the impact as he revealed that he was inspired to write the book by watching the dynamics of a mis-matched couple at Qutub Plaza market! This made him imagine what their story could be like especially when one of them went missing and that became the plot of a thriller! It was equally interesting to note how technology played a major role in the plot with CCTV cameras and mobile tracking devices becoming important sources. Since the novel is written in a mix of narrative styles, it lends interest and creates a suspense so necessary in a good novel. It was indeed a wonderful evening well spent with an author who knows his job and readers who love a good crime thriller.
April 9, 2017
Thrilling
A well researched and thrilling plot. It really makes you push through to know what's happening next.
Waiting for the next one from the author.
A well researched and thrilling plot. It really makes you push through to know what's happening next.
Waiting for the next one from the author.
November 3, 2016
Keeping with the times of instant everything, Manish Dubey's debut novel is chicly instant and yet crafty at the same time. The size of what you hold in hand (if you go with the paperback version) can be mistaken to be a quick read and it might even be if you usually skim through paperbacks. However if you really want to dwell in his fabrication (to enjoy novel's nuances) then you have to give it some time to let it weave its cover over you. I found myself re-reading some parts to stand in the scenes.
Dubey gives us a succinct and sufficient preface before arriving at the plot of the story. The preface makes readers privy to the dispositions of the characters and makes it easy to relate to their motivations and actions. The effort that Dubey takes to inform us about his characters pays off well. He exploits ubiquitous presumptuousness cleverly making the story sound quite plausible in the setting. He does that intermittently through the story and it works well for the novel.
As one would expect from a suspense thriller, the story develops with straps that tie us down for the ride to begin, it then thrills us with swift turns, lines up miniature yet meticulous scenes and finally takes us to the peak of the reading ride. At the zenith Dubey finally lets us take a breather and then we see it all.
While Dubey tells us about the episode of a murder and its fallout, he also lets us in on the travails of the city – Gurgaon. A city has no travails, her residents do. Is it Gurgaon or Gurugram? What difference does that make to the loneliness and avarice of her residents? Everyone sees, writes and talks about the city battling with infrastructure: the potholes during monsoon, twenty four hour office commutes, shootout at toll posts, and gleaming buildings that sometimes launch and sometimes crash dream careers. It is useful to keep that backdrop in mind while reading. It would be naive to assume that the city’s struggles and commotions will have no effect on her residents.
Somebody’s dream can be someone else’s nightmare, especially if the dream is hunted down with scant regard to others around. While the cocktail of loneliness, covetousness and avarice might have launched a thousand murder stories, this work is especially interesting and informative as a vignette into widely known but less talked aspects of contemporary life in today’s Gurugram. If you read closely you won’t miss that while the city is struggling desperately to weave all her threads together, someone is stabbing someone somewhere.
Read it!
Dubey gives us a succinct and sufficient preface before arriving at the plot of the story. The preface makes readers privy to the dispositions of the characters and makes it easy to relate to their motivations and actions. The effort that Dubey takes to inform us about his characters pays off well. He exploits ubiquitous presumptuousness cleverly making the story sound quite plausible in the setting. He does that intermittently through the story and it works well for the novel.
As one would expect from a suspense thriller, the story develops with straps that tie us down for the ride to begin, it then thrills us with swift turns, lines up miniature yet meticulous scenes and finally takes us to the peak of the reading ride. At the zenith Dubey finally lets us take a breather and then we see it all.
While Dubey tells us about the episode of a murder and its fallout, he also lets us in on the travails of the city – Gurgaon. A city has no travails, her residents do. Is it Gurgaon or Gurugram? What difference does that make to the loneliness and avarice of her residents? Everyone sees, writes and talks about the city battling with infrastructure: the potholes during monsoon, twenty four hour office commutes, shootout at toll posts, and gleaming buildings that sometimes launch and sometimes crash dream careers. It is useful to keep that backdrop in mind while reading. It would be naive to assume that the city’s struggles and commotions will have no effect on her residents.
Somebody’s dream can be someone else’s nightmare, especially if the dream is hunted down with scant regard to others around. While the cocktail of loneliness, covetousness and avarice might have launched a thousand murder stories, this work is especially interesting and informative as a vignette into widely known but less talked aspects of contemporary life in today’s Gurugram. If you read closely you won’t miss that while the city is struggling desperately to weave all her threads together, someone is stabbing someone somewhere.
Read it!
December 22, 2016
A Murder in Gurgaon by Manish Dubey is a crime thriller that deals with elements of mystery, crime, thriller and bucket full of suspense. The novel surely reminds you of Crime Patrol series or CID as the way it is delineated.
The cover and title are intriguing. The cover has a woman whose face is covered and the name of some people are written which we assume as characters. It give us so many mixed vibes. Further, the title is accurate and to the point as it suggests us the name of the case which the police comes across.
The Synopsis goes like this: Gurgaon. December 2014. A young event manager, an ex-cop's son, is murdered. Inspector Singh vows justice.
There is little to begin with, and frustration mounts when the initial suspect - a reclusive woman with a mysterious past - is found missing. Digging deeper, Singh uncovers a sordid tale of adultery, blackmail and revenge, only to find himself staring at a conspiracy unlike any he has seen.
There are deceits, little and big, to decode; the predator and victim are indistinguishable; his witnesses could be misleading; his closest ally may not be an ally at all. Will Singh succeed? Or has the sick, wily mind behind the crime always been a few steps ahead?
The characters are interesting as they help in the progression of the plot. Singh being the honest and the clever cop whose mind runs faster than anything. The suspects have done their own set of planning. All the characters are round who change according to the situations.The shifting of places keeps the story moving and one can feel travelling along with the characters.
This book comes under crime thriller as we see a lot of drama and crime in the book. It can also be called as a mystery novel as the author has maintained the mystery till the end. Further, the element of stream of consciousness is beautifully used along with strong detective skills.
The story is fast paced. The chapters are crisp and short. The author has used condesed style of writing.The way the bullets are used to analyse the case developments sounds realistic. The environment and descriptions are well maintained. There are certain turn offs. Though the story is narrated but at times we feel the story has turned into a play where the investigation or police scenes takes place. This doesn't go in novel's favour. Further, the way the editing errors and typos comes as a hinderance for the reader. Though the pages are 192 but one doesn't feel becauseof the shortness of the chapters. The quality of the book is perfect and the pages are just fine.
The cover and title are intriguing. The cover has a woman whose face is covered and the name of some people are written which we assume as characters. It give us so many mixed vibes. Further, the title is accurate and to the point as it suggests us the name of the case which the police comes across.
The Synopsis goes like this: Gurgaon. December 2014. A young event manager, an ex-cop's son, is murdered. Inspector Singh vows justice.
There is little to begin with, and frustration mounts when the initial suspect - a reclusive woman with a mysterious past - is found missing. Digging deeper, Singh uncovers a sordid tale of adultery, blackmail and revenge, only to find himself staring at a conspiracy unlike any he has seen.
There are deceits, little and big, to decode; the predator and victim are indistinguishable; his witnesses could be misleading; his closest ally may not be an ally at all. Will Singh succeed? Or has the sick, wily mind behind the crime always been a few steps ahead?
The characters are interesting as they help in the progression of the plot. Singh being the honest and the clever cop whose mind runs faster than anything. The suspects have done their own set of planning. All the characters are round who change according to the situations.The shifting of places keeps the story moving and one can feel travelling along with the characters.
This book comes under crime thriller as we see a lot of drama and crime in the book. It can also be called as a mystery novel as the author has maintained the mystery till the end. Further, the element of stream of consciousness is beautifully used along with strong detective skills.
The story is fast paced. The chapters are crisp and short. The author has used condesed style of writing.The way the bullets are used to analyse the case developments sounds realistic. The environment and descriptions are well maintained. There are certain turn offs. Though the story is narrated but at times we feel the story has turned into a play where the investigation or police scenes takes place. This doesn't go in novel's favour. Further, the way the editing errors and typos comes as a hinderance for the reader. Though the pages are 192 but one doesn't feel becauseof the shortness of the chapters. The quality of the book is perfect and the pages are just fine.
December 26, 2016
For full review - A Murder In Gurgaon on The InkedIn Book Blog
*Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and views are entirely my own and in no way biased.*
A Murder In Gurgaon is the story of the murder of a 30 something man in his own house and the disappearance of one lady after she met with her friend and told her she had ‘business’ to take care of.
he story is part narrative, part novel and part play. The author does not follow a single method of story telling and I think that that is a refreshing change. The plot is the main attraction of the story. The characters are just tools to forward the plot and there isn’t any character development. Just conversations and incidents that lead from the murder to finding the culprit.
As a whole, the story is intriguing and interesting and keeps you hooked. It did feel like a CID episode at times, though. The end certainly felt like it. the fact that I disliked the most is that the investigating officer didn’t have to dig around to reach the conclusion as to who was the killer. Also, the promise twist at the end of Part II is never mentioned in Part III and the novel ends. I was expecting something there, but it didn’t happen and that was a little disappointing.
What I like is how the mystery unfolds. I didn’t guess the ending until the end thought when it happened, it seemed too obvious once I went back to the beginning and went over it. I guess, that is what makes it so good. The culprit is right in front of you, they’re the obvious choice and you still don’t suspect them for reasons unknown. Then you realise it’s them and feel stupid for not thinking about it in the first place!
All in all, it’s a pretty riveting read and it grips you till the end.
*Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and views are entirely my own and in no way biased.*
A Murder In Gurgaon is the story of the murder of a 30 something man in his own house and the disappearance of one lady after she met with her friend and told her she had ‘business’ to take care of.
he story is part narrative, part novel and part play. The author does not follow a single method of story telling and I think that that is a refreshing change. The plot is the main attraction of the story. The characters are just tools to forward the plot and there isn’t any character development. Just conversations and incidents that lead from the murder to finding the culprit.
As a whole, the story is intriguing and interesting and keeps you hooked. It did feel like a CID episode at times, though. The end certainly felt like it. the fact that I disliked the most is that the investigating officer didn’t have to dig around to reach the conclusion as to who was the killer. Also, the promise twist at the end of Part II is never mentioned in Part III and the novel ends. I was expecting something there, but it didn’t happen and that was a little disappointing.
What I like is how the mystery unfolds. I didn’t guess the ending until the end thought when it happened, it seemed too obvious once I went back to the beginning and went over it. I guess, that is what makes it so good. The culprit is right in front of you, they’re the obvious choice and you still don’t suspect them for reasons unknown. Then you realise it’s them and feel stupid for not thinking about it in the first place!
All in all, it’s a pretty riveting read and it grips you till the end.
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October 17, 2016I liked so many things about the way the story has been told.
To start with, there are no super-cops or super-detectives having a larger-than-life persona who solve mysteries like magic. The narrative is in a journalistic fashion with events and artefacts presented in a case-book manner – I haven’t read any other crime fiction narrated this way. The fact that Manish has been able to grip attention and keep the suspense on till much later into the story despite this style of narration is a skill I suggest he specializes in.
Talking of the suspense, while the murderer’s identity was almost established a dozen or so pages before the end of the book, the details of how the culprit accomplished what she did and the identity of the other protagonist (Leena) keep the interest on till the last page.
I also like the effort Manish has spent on building the character and narratives around Hari Dixit portraying an emotional and sensitive side of the victim’s family.
And last but most important – while the theme of the story is illicit sexual encounters, Manish has stayed clear of detailed narratives and painted the issue with broad strokes thereby preventing the story sliding into sleaze. This must have been a difficult but has been very well achieved.
Kudos to Manish and all the best for the next story and a successful writing career.
To start with, there are no super-cops or super-detectives having a larger-than-life persona who solve mysteries like magic. The narrative is in a journalistic fashion with events and artefacts presented in a case-book manner – I haven’t read any other crime fiction narrated this way. The fact that Manish has been able to grip attention and keep the suspense on till much later into the story despite this style of narration is a skill I suggest he specializes in.
Talking of the suspense, while the murderer’s identity was almost established a dozen or so pages before the end of the book, the details of how the culprit accomplished what she did and the identity of the other protagonist (Leena) keep the interest on till the last page.
I also like the effort Manish has spent on building the character and narratives around Hari Dixit portraying an emotional and sensitive side of the victim’s family.
And last but most important – while the theme of the story is illicit sexual encounters, Manish has stayed clear of detailed narratives and painted the issue with broad strokes thereby preventing the story sliding into sleaze. This must have been a difficult but has been very well achieved.
Kudos to Manish and all the best for the next story and a successful writing career.
February 22, 2017
For full review please visit my blog https://booksteaandmorecom.wordpress....
The writing is simple yet sharp. The style of writing is conversational with each chapter being an account of what happened on a particular day. This helps and engages you as we truly feel that we are a part of the police investigation. Most of the characters are sketchy but this aids the novel as it builds up the intrigue and mystery. The plot is what drives this novel. While the author does give some clues and makes certain aspects apparent a major twist which came in the novel completely shocked me.
The description is the heart of his writing as it was very rich and one really feels as if one is a part of the scene. One can understand that the author really knows and has studied the police investigation system as there are no glitches. The author has really planned and structured the novel well. While most of the novel makes for a pacy fast read there were some conversations which I found stretched.
The writing is simple yet sharp. The style of writing is conversational with each chapter being an account of what happened on a particular day. This helps and engages you as we truly feel that we are a part of the police investigation. Most of the characters are sketchy but this aids the novel as it builds up the intrigue and mystery. The plot is what drives this novel. While the author does give some clues and makes certain aspects apparent a major twist which came in the novel completely shocked me.
The description is the heart of his writing as it was very rich and one really feels as if one is a part of the scene. One can understand that the author really knows and has studied the police investigation system as there are no glitches. The author has really planned and structured the novel well. While most of the novel makes for a pacy fast read there were some conversations which I found stretched.
November 24, 2016
Amazing maiden effort - one likes the way the narrative is sometimes in the formal of a novel, and sometimes a play, and yet again, work in progress for the big screen.
Interesting characters, and one enjoys the Indianised version of the armchair detective and the interweaving of technology into the narrative. And the little things…..Picking durrie lint ? Puts the monotony of forced attendance for functions in perspective. Well done! And refreshingly interesting on a second, more relaxed read.
Looking forward to the next title....will we see more of these characters, I wonder
Interesting characters, and one enjoys the Indianised version of the armchair detective and the interweaving of technology into the narrative. And the little things…..Picking durrie lint ? Puts the monotony of forced attendance for functions in perspective. Well done! And refreshingly interesting on a second, more relaxed read.
Looking forward to the next title....will we see more of these characters, I wonder
November 11, 2016
'A murder in Gurgaon' is fast paced, crisp and quite a thrilling read. The writing style is very refreshing. The book sails through and manages to contain the suspense almost till the end. Although towards the end, you know who did it. you are intrigued to know the hows of it, which puts it with the likes of western world crime thrillers. Will be interesting to see as a movie.
December 7, 2016
Manish Dubey's debut "A murder in gurgaon" a " what next " tale of intrigue / skullduggerry / bipolar'ism is a breeze to go through, does not want to be left alone. The attention to detail is stupendous and the characters are finely defined and fleshed out. Its akin to the Maltese Falcon and The Gone Girl having a love child.
October 15, 2016
gripping story line, finished it in one go! characters come alive in the narrative. looking forward to the next book already
October 20, 2016
Interesting narrative style thriller to look for a murder motive.
November 2, 2016
interestingly told! I enjoyed reading it.
November 18, 2016
Intelligent plot
Professional approach to investigation
Need to keep the suspense till the end.
Unputdownable
Professional approach to investigation
Need to keep the suspense till the end.
Unputdownable
December 23, 2016
Excellent thriller
Excellent thriller and very interesting plot by Manish. Completed in one go. Highly recommended if you are a mystery/thriller lover.
Excellent thriller and very interesting plot by Manish. Completed in one go. Highly recommended if you are a mystery/thriller lover.
January 2, 2026
A Murder in Gurgaon didn’t live up to the expectations I had from an Indian murder mystery.
While the premise promises investigative depth, the execution feels surprisingly lazy. Much of the detective work happens not through action or discovery, but through characters sitting in an office, asking each other questions and spelling out answers via exposition. Instead of letting the plot reveal information organically, the book relies heavily on explanation-heavy dialogue, which drains any sense of tension.
The Gurgaon portrayed here is lawless and familiar: a place where power protects the guilty, particularly when the perpetrator is connected to the police. That aspect feels authentic and believable, reflecting how investigations often stall or divert in real-life Indian contexts. However, authenticity alone isn’t enough to carry the story.
The murder mystery is clearly meant to be the central point, but it’s undermined by weak execution—there’s little exploration of motives, suspects’ perspectives, or meaningful conflict. Everything is filtered through the investigators’ limited viewpoint, which flattens the narrative.
The characters are largely stereotypical and underdeveloped. While I did appreciate the ingenuity behind how the crime was supposedly covered up—something I hadn’t seen before—the novel fails to dramatise that ingenuity effectively.
The idea is interesting; the storytelling is not.
The ending, abrupt and unjust, left me frustrated rather than satisfied.
This book may appeal to readers who enjoy Indian detective fiction focused on procedural conversations—police officers talking through a case in a contained setting. Think Sherlock-style deduction, but significantly diluted in both writing quality and narrative ambition.
Rating: ⭐⭐ / 5
While the premise promises investigative depth, the execution feels surprisingly lazy. Much of the detective work happens not through action or discovery, but through characters sitting in an office, asking each other questions and spelling out answers via exposition. Instead of letting the plot reveal information organically, the book relies heavily on explanation-heavy dialogue, which drains any sense of tension.
The Gurgaon portrayed here is lawless and familiar: a place where power protects the guilty, particularly when the perpetrator is connected to the police. That aspect feels authentic and believable, reflecting how investigations often stall or divert in real-life Indian contexts. However, authenticity alone isn’t enough to carry the story.
The murder mystery is clearly meant to be the central point, but it’s undermined by weak execution—there’s little exploration of motives, suspects’ perspectives, or meaningful conflict. Everything is filtered through the investigators’ limited viewpoint, which flattens the narrative.
The characters are largely stereotypical and underdeveloped. While I did appreciate the ingenuity behind how the crime was supposedly covered up—something I hadn’t seen before—the novel fails to dramatise that ingenuity effectively.
The idea is interesting; the storytelling is not.
The ending, abrupt and unjust, left me frustrated rather than satisfied.
This book may appeal to readers who enjoy Indian detective fiction focused on procedural conversations—police officers talking through a case in a contained setting. Think Sherlock-style deduction, but significantly diluted in both writing quality and narrative ambition.
Rating: ⭐⭐ / 5
September 12, 2025
Quick murder mystery set in Gurgaon (Gurugram, near New Delhi, India. I don't think much of mystery writing but using real malls, hotels and businesses in Gurugram made it more appealing to me. You can follow the fictional tale through the city on google maps. Regular crime drama hunting a killer. Give it a 5/10 as a easy read lasting just 2 days.
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